Etude
by Pipsqueak
Summary: A snippet that refused to be ignored. Based on my musings on what a new female agent might be like. May or may not continue.


ETUDE  
  
Rating: G, some bad language but not much else so far.  
  
Standard disclaimer: The Invisible Man and all the characters are not mine and are used without permission.  
  
AN: This is the first fanfic-ish thing I've ever written for the Invisible Man. It's just a snippet that started rattling around the back of my head when I was reading other fans discussions on what it might mean for a new female agent character to be added in Season Two. I began wondering what it might take for this new agent to be someone we fans might actually want to see. Then, once I started writing it, I remembered a little exercise Daphne DuMoraurier set herself one. She decided to try and write a story where the main character didn't have a name. The result was the classic novel, "Rebecca." Now I'm not sure I can get away without giving my character a name, but I think I'm going to try and never actually give a physical description of her, since that seems to be what is worrying folks most (you know, the fact that she might wind up being the typical sexpot). Anyway, this note is now longer than the actual snippet, which I may or may not actually ever continue. So there :-P  
  
It started with what, for all purposes, was a routine summons to see The Official. Darien and Hobbes entered the office, good naturedly sniping at each other as usual. Now, normally they would have continued, despite the presence of The Official and Eberts, but it was the scrutiny of a third set of eyes that stopped them in their tracks.  
  
An unfamiliar woman sat casually on the edge of The Official's desk. Her arms were folded across her chest in a thoughtful pose as she took in the two agents before her, but a bemused smile played at the corner of her lips.  
  
"Let me introduce you to our two best agents: Agent Bobby Hobbes and Agent Darien Fawkes."  
  
She cocked an eyebrow at the mismatched pair and started laughing.   
  
"C'mon, Charlie. You always did have a warped sense of humor, but this is serious now."  
  
"Actually, these two men have solved some of The Agency's highest profile, most successful cases, including neutralizing the Chameleon and cleaning up the Luke Lawson fiasco," Eberts explained.  
  
"Damn straight," muttered Bobby, "You'd think they'd give me a raise for all the bad-ass butt I've kicked."  
  
"All right, I'll buy Hobbes. I've heard about him from Jones over at the FBI. He's a loose cannon, but a good agent with plenty of frontline experience. This one, however...." She gestured dismissively at Darien, her eyes moving from his seemingly untamed hair to his flapping orange shirttails, right down to his canvas basketball sneakers. "What's his name ...ah ... Fawkes? You've got to be kidding me. He looks like he's just barely capable of dressing himself."  
  
Darien waggled his index finger at the woman. "Um, excuse me, but I am right here."  
  
"Oh man, Fawkes, that was weak, even for you," Bobby commented.  
  
"Hey, I don't hear you doing any better," Darien shot back.  
  
"Well, she's right. I've seen wine-soaked bums lying in the gutter that look better than you."  
  
"Have not."  
  
"Have so."  
  
"Have not."  
  
"Have so."  
  
She grimaced inwardly as she watched the conversation between the two agents devolve into a Bugs Bunny debate. "Oh great, just great. You know, I've put my butt on the line to help you cover the tracks for your 'special' projects more than once. Is this the best you can do when it's time for me to call in your markers? You stick me with the mentally unbalanced and the fashionably challenged?"  
  
"Agent Fawkes has a unique talent for covert operations, unsurpassed by any other operative in any agency, anywhere." The ring of pride sounded in The Official's voice, not unlike that of an owner bragging about his prize thoroughbred. "Now I'm not going to try and con you. These two can be a major pain in the butt and you're going to have to keep them on a very short leash, but they are absolutely, without a doubt the best men for this mission. I'll stake my reputation on it."  
  
The woman turned to look Official straight in the eye. In the background Hobbes' muffled, "Aw, thanks, boss," floated up. Right on its heels came Darien's, "Geez, fat man, I didn't know you cared."  
  
Still holding The Official's gaze, she said, "You are, Charlie, you are."  



End file.
